Main Page
Alphabetical Menu
#0-9 Menu
|
Release Date: August 5th, 2005 (NYC-Lincoln Plaza Cinemas) by Sony Pictures Classics. The Cast: Tony Leung, Gong Li, Kimura Takuya, Faye Wong, Zhang Ziyi Directed by Wong Kar Wai BASIC PREMISE: A writer (Leung) writes a love story set in 2046 which has the same themes from his current and past quests for love. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Without a coherent and effective plot, it is difficult to be truly engaged. The opening shot is very beautiful and mysterious, with images that look like an abstract work of art. This small scene is a foreshadow of the rest of the film, which is just as abstract yet has a very distinct, artsy look. The plot structure seems fairly simple, as the futuristic world of the writer's story parallels his current love life. He lives in room 2047 and eventually has sex with every woman who lives in room 2046. When he meets one of beautiful young women (Zhang Ziyi), he ends up paying for sex and she ends up wanting him to commit. However, he is not the type of person who wants a long-term relationship with women. That's an interesting conflict that makes the plot more interesting, especially when Zhang Ziyi's character tries to make him jealous of her many lovers. Many scenes seem redundant at times simply because the writer makes the same mistakes with women over and over. Also, he is not very likeable in the way that he treats women--he is no Alfie! In his mind, the year 2046 is just as depressing when it comes to the search of love. There are some amazing CGI effects during these futuristic scenes, but they lack warmth. There is also no humor or wit, which makes the film too serious and dry. Wong Kar Wai is a director that loves to entertain through cinematography and sound. He seems to have a foot-fetish because there are many shots of women's feet as they slowly walk down hallways--which are also recurring scenes from his last film, "In the Mood for Love". All of these aesthetic qualities create one basic quality which is atmosphere. However, atmosphere alone is not enough to make a film entertaining. SPIRITUAL VALUE: This film does not say anything particularly new about love. The parallels between the futuristic world of 2046 and the current world are somewhat though-provoking, but never really amounts to much. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Minimal plot and character development. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 5 THE BOTTOM LINE: A film that is high on atmosphere and mood, but it fails to engage because it is low on plot development, character development, and a script lacks humor as well as wit. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: VHS/DVD Go Back To The Main Page Go Back To The Alphabetical Menu Go Back To The #0-9 Menu ______________________________________________________ |
The NYC Movie Guru
themovieguru101@yahoo.com
Privacy Policy